Almost Doesn't Count
by Magui90
Summary: Six years later, the gang returns to Retroville; only to discover that the truth has been blurred to the point of no return. How can you fix what you aren't sure about? JxC and SxL too.
1. Homecoming

Hey all, I'm still alive. I figured I'd try my hand at a different couple. So I began writing on a Jimmy Neutron fic. I based all this information on a real life situation I am currently going through. Being a soldier, I'll be putting a lot of my own emotions into Jimmy's character, it'll give you an idea of how hard it is for soldiers who have to leave home and have no control on what happens.

Summarizing it all, the gang is all at age 25, with the exception of Jimmy's sister and Cindy's brother at 13 years of age. Hopefully this story gets as many (or more) hits than my From Human To Irken Series (which I'm still working on as well, but currently am having writer's block with that..bah.)

Disclaimer: Jimmy Neutron is not owned by me...(aww)

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><p>Chapter 1: Homecoming<p>

_I think sometimes, you have to lose someone completely before you can figure out what they really mean to you. - Unknown_

He stepped off the bus and glanced around in a bored-like manner, a rucksack strapped to his back while a backpack was held in his hand. James Isaac Neutron, age 25, a soldier of the United States Forces with the job occupation of 51C: Acquisition, Logistics & Technology Specialist.

Jimmy smiled inwardly to himself; _it's been six years...since I've returned to Retroville._

Nothing seemed different. His hometown still retained its suburban atmosphere. He was somewhat excited to see his old friends Carl, Sheen, and Libby.

…_and Cindy._ His mind wandered, while his features stiffened at the thought. In his free hand he clutched the Wedding Invitation he received two weeks ago. _She'll probably be there at the wedding… it_ is _for her best friend after all. _

He pulled his patrol cap down and noticed someone waving at him from afar. Noticing it was his mother and his little sister his smiled broadened as he hoisted his bags and maneuvered his way to his mother's car. Dropping his things he walked over to his sister and hugged her tightly, earning a small laugh from her.

"JIMMY!"

"Hi Lizzy, it's so good to see you!"

He pulled away from her and smiled brightly. His sister had grown up in the last six years. He had remembered her before he joined the service when she was only seven, now she was thirteen. She looked very much like their mother, but had the same blue eyes as their father, her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail as she smiled back at him and pulled him into a bear-tight hug.

"Welcome home big brother!"

"Elizabeth Garrett Neutron, let your brother go so I can give him a hug too!"

Lizzy laughed lightly as she moved out of the way so their mother could smother him with affection.

"Mom! Please, not in front of everyone!"

"Oh hush! It's been six years and I've missed you!"

"Well at least wait til I'm not in uniform!"

Lizzy jumped in, "Just wait til dad sees you, he's been fussing about fixing your room up to accommodate you!"

Jimmy managed to pull always from his mother's kisses, "Is he home?"

"Yep, and still fixing up your room!"

Jimmy let out a sigh, shaking his head with a smile, "Honestly, you guys are making a big deal about my homecoming and I'll only be here for three weeks too…"

"That's why we'll have to do all we can to keep you comfortable dear!" His mother exclaimed happily, "Now, let's get your things in the car and head home, I'm sure everyone is waiting excitedly to see you!"

"Roger….I mean, right." Jimmy chuckled, _it's going to be tough to break MI lingo while I'm here…_

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><p>The sun was bright, the birds were singing, and nothing could possibly darken the day. Well, nothing except a chance meeting with an ex-lover. Though Cindy Vortex did not expect that at all as she lay beside her man; Nick Dean.<p>

She felt his arm tighten around her waist and pull her closer, and she sighed contently, snuggling her face into the crook of his neck to breathe his scent in: the smell of cologne and their mingled intimacy.

"Feel like having another go, babe?" his voice was thick with desire and lust, and she felt her legs twitch slightly.

_This was the third time in a span of five hours,_ she thought to herself, _when are we ever going to just sit and talk?_

She sighed inwardly; the sex wasn't as good as she had thought it would be with Nick. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't mind-blowing. Not like _him…not like Jimmy._

There was a tinge of anger that was visible as her right eyebrow furrowed. The thought of that man made her blood boil. At the same time however, she felt a strange emotion that seemed to cling to her chest and make it ache every time he crossed her mind.

_Stupid_…she thought, _look who you have now, look who's actually here for you, be happy dammit! _

A small smile appearing on her lips as she nodded, rolling over onto her back and allowing him to hover over her body. As his lips descended to catch hers, a loud knock came from the other side of the doorway and with it her mother's voice.

"Cynthia, come downstairs will you? I need you to pick up your brother from school."

Cindy let out an exasperated groan as she sat up, pushing Nick to the side, "Yes mom, give me five minutes." She listened for her mother's retreating footsteps and turned her head to Nick. "Guess you'll have to wait til later Nick."

His disappointment was visible in his eyes as he rolled over to put his clothes on, bringing his dark jeans up to his waist and pulling his white shirt over his head.

"I'll be back in a few hours then babe, I got some stuff to take care of." He said as he laced up his shoes, threw on his denim jacket and placed his sunglasses on top of his head. He turned and flashed her his award-winning smile, the same smile that won him all his awards as a model and actor. Nick Dean; age 25, the famous model for Abercrombie & Fitch clothing and part-time actor.

She watched as he climbed out of her window and shimmy down the drainpipe, then run off down the street to his parked car. It was bad enough that she was with him these past few years, but having sex with him in her parents' house under their noses would have been worse. They didn't really like him, and they definitely did not know she was with him. There was that feeling again in her chest, and she shook her head to get rid of it as she straightened herself up and walked downstairs.

She had been in Retroville for about a week, wanting to spend some time with her family and friends before Libby and Sheen's wedding took place. She sighed dreamily, somewhat jealous that Libby would achieve her happily ever after so soon.

But I've done well all on my own too, she thought. After all, she was famous as an actress on the west coast. Los Angeles and Hollywood had been good to her and she won several awards for the movies she starred in. One movie in particular with Nick as her co-star sparked the rumors of their possible relationship, but who could blame the media, considering the scene was an explicit intimate scene.

_At least the rumors eventually became truths…after a year though. _

She walked over to the dresser to grab the car keys, "Mom I'm going out to get Skyler!"

Opening the door she saw the Neutron car pull up into their driveway across the street, watching as Mrs. Neutron and Elizabeth came out of the car followed by a taller man who came out from the passenger's side.

Her heart skipped a beat when she realized who it was. _Jimmy Neutron._

As if he heard her thoughts, his whole body turned in her direction and they shared a silent conversation with eachother from opposite sides of the street.

He seems…different. She said to herself. Noting that he was still in his military uniform, she felt a small blush creep up to her cheeks. She watched as he said something to his mother before strutting across the street to greet her.

Soon he was only several feet in front of her, and she found that there was something inherently sexy about the way he stood there in uniform, his body straight and confident. The military really brought out that physical confidence in him. She eyed him up and down, taking in his camoflauge patterned attire and the Staff Sergeant rank sitting on his chest.

"It's good to see you Cindy." His voice was calm, but she could tell there was something in it that wasn't as welcoming as it gave off.

"Yeah, you too." She whispered. "Did you need something? I'm in a hurry.."

"I'm going to stop by later to pick up my things that I left in your house six years ago, if you don't mind."

She stared at him, _that was straightforward._

"O…Okay. Sure, I'll have it all in a box for you."

She felt someone come up behind her and noticed it was her father and mother, smiling back at Jimmy.

"James, you've grown up a lot!"

Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed, "So I've been told. It's great to see you both Mr. and Mrs. Vortex. Is Skyler around?"

Mrs. Vortex spoke up, "No, Cindy was about to go pick him up from tutoring. He's been trying to raise his score in Mathematics, though I don't know why it matters, he has a 95 average."

Jimmy chuckled, "He's a lot like Cindy I guess."

Cindy felt her cheeks burn again, "Nothing wrong with perfection, Neutron…"

He gave her a soft smile and Cindy felt her heart ache again. _Why was he causing such a problem!_

"I have to go now, I'm going to have a busy three weeks with helping with the wedding and spending time with my family." He turned slightly to head back.

"Aren't you going to fit Cindy in your schedule? You both must have a lot of catching up to do.."Mr. Vortex grinned slyly as Mrs. Vortex let out a small giggle.

_Oh_…Cindy thought.

Jimmy turned back around, confusion clearly plastered on his face, "Why would I…?"

It was Mr. and Mrs. Vortexes' turn to look confused.

"Because you're her boyfriend…?" The statement came out more as an inquiry from Mr. Vortex, his eyes squinted in suspicious, "…aren't you…?"

Jimmy looked at Cindy, the annoyance and surprise was clear in his eyes. "You never told them…did you?"

_Uh oh…_she thought again. Her hands shaking slightly, "I…"

"Cindy?" Her mother looked at her, confusion turning into anger, "What is he saying?"

Cindy found it hard to speak now; she licked her lips and cast her eyes downward.

Jimmy let out a sigh as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Cindy left me five years ago while I was deployed." He smiled again, a soft, sad smile. "and replaced me, with Nick Dean 2 days later."


	2. Who's to Blame?

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron.

Aside from that, I hope everyone is having a great day/night thus far. Thanks for the reviews as well, it really made my day out here when I got back from missions haha.

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><p>Chapter 2:<p>

_My Cindy,_

_I can't wait until this deployment is over and done with so that I can return home and see you again. It's been so long, and I've missed you so much. Things are not easy out here, and we're only halfway through it all. We've suffered many losses, and sometimes I think I'm going to break from it all. But then I remember, I have you, I'll always have you won't I? It's when I think about that, where I maintain myself and keep pressing onward. I love you, Cindy._

_Yours Forever,_

_Jimmy_

"You and Cindy… broke up?" Mrs. Vortex's face fell slightly; the news was foreign to her. All this time she had thought Cindy was on the phone with Jimmy. She had thought she was writing letters to him from Los Angeles.

Jimmy let out another sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing his patrol cap to the side.

"You misunderstand me, Mrs. Vortex. Cindy and I did not break up….she _left _me." The words were heavy with an unknown emotion. Cindy looked at Jimmy, wondering what that heavy emotion was.

_He's not telling the whole story_, she thought to herself._ Why is he saying that _I_ left? I'm not the one who joined the service and left…and besides…he's not even admitting that he-_

All eyes seemed to cast their direction to Cindy, who only continued to look in Jimmy's direction, her own eyes filled with unanswered questions and a faint hint of anger.

"I'm not in the mood to talk about this…" Cindy retorted, turning to head for the car, "I have to pick Skyler up."

"Don't bother, I'm right here."

Cindy turned her head to the driveway and noticed her younger brother walking toward them, his backpack slung casually over his left shoulder.

"Sky!... I'm sorry, we got caught up and-"

"Doesn't matter…" he responded coolly, turning his attention to Jimmy. His dark green eyes flashed anger towards him, and Jimmy cocked his head slightly at the intriguing fury that was present in the youth's eyes.

"What are you doing here, Neutron?"

Jimmy smiled inwardly to himself, "Skyler, it's been a long time, how have you been?"

Skyler dropped his bag at his feet and balled his fists, his eyes ablaze with fury, "I said…_what are you doing here_…Neutron."

"Skyler don't be so rude, James is here for the wedding just like Cindy." Mrs. Vortex sighed at the tension.

Jimmy nodded, "I just thought I'd stop over and say hello."

"Well, no one wants you here Neutron."

The words sent a pang of hurt to Jimmy's heart. _What did I do?_

Cindy smiled and silently thanked her little brother. Turning her attention to Jimmy once more with an annoyed expression, "You heard my brother, Neutron. Just beat it, all your things will be ready for you to pick up tonight."

Jimmy's tilted his head once again, as curiosity rocked his demeanor. He heard footsteps behind him and felt a hand grab at his arm followed by his sister's voice.

"Skyler Vortex…" she hissed angrily.

Skyler's eye twitched, "…Elizabeth Neutron."

The tension in the air grew heavier, as the Neutron-Vortex rivalry continued to circulate around everyone. Elizabeth stared at Skyler with her piercing blue eyes, and Skyler found it difficult to hold her gaze. He diverted his attention to Jimmy once again, it was easier to hate the man who hurt his sister rather than to have a stare-down contest with an old crush.

"Come on Jimmy, mom and dad are waiting for you back home…and we called Sheen, Libby and Carl too." Elizabeth urged her brother and tugged on his arm. Jimmy nodded, his eyes never leaving Cindy's gaze.

"See you, later…then.." he mumbled

Cindy only nodded and watched as he turned and walked back to his house across the street, leaving the Vortex family in their driveway.

"Cindy…why didn't you mention that you and James weren't together?" Mr. Vortex asked his daughter, his expression confused, "You both seemed to really care for one another…"

Cindy just sighed heavily, "Sometimes, dad, it's just not meant to be."

"Tell me about it…" Skyler retorted, grabbing his bag, "…if I see that man on this side of the tracks again I'll deck him."

"You will do no such thing Skyler Vortex!" Mrs. Vortex tsked him disapprovingly, "Now, everyone inside, I need to prepare dinner."

As the family migrated back into their home, Cindy cast one last look back at the Neutron household. Something was tugging at her chest, she didn't know what it was, but it bothered and angered her further as she turned to walk back inside her house.

_Neutron,_

_I love you. But I'm not in love with you. Sorry, we can't be together anymore._

_Cindy_

Jimmy sighed as he walked up the staircase and began unzipping his camo top. Opening the door to his room, he set the top on his old wooden chair and flopped on his bed. Goddard jumped up and curled himself next to Jimmy, happy that his master was home.

Jimmy placed his hand on top of Goddard's head and stared at his ceiling. _Still littered with glow-n-the-dark stars._ He smiled, turning his head to the bathroom and noticing his "Hair-O-matic" that helped him style his hair when he would get ready for school in the mornings.

_Guess that invention is unnecessary now_…he thought to himself as his free hand rose up to run through his military cut hair. He turned over and buried his face into his blankets, inhaling the smell of the clean sheets. Suddenly his body stiffened as he caught a familiar scent, almost lingering.

_The smell of jasmine flowers….the smell of Cindy.._

He wondered briefly how that scent was able to stick to his sheets after so many years. Only to be brought back to an old memory of Cindy crawling over to him on his bed and knocking her perfume bottle over on the nightstand, causing all the liquid to permanently embed itself forever in his sheets.

He groaned as the scent wafted into his senses, eyes closing. _It wasn't a problem then…but it may be a problem now…_

He felt his body override with heat and a sudden aching pressure was present in his trousers. He tried to push the ideas from his mind, but the smell in his room and the bed full of memories just urged his thoughts. He felt his own hand ghost over his groin and apply light pressure to his burning need as he restrained a moan..

_Harder….faster…_

_...don't stop Jimmy!...I-I'm almost…!_

"Jimmy…?"

The knock on the door was enough to bring him from his thoughts as he shot up from his bed and watched his little sister push the door open. He must have looked as if he was up to mischief, for the look his sister gave him was of confusion and wonder.

"Uhm…I wasn't interrupting a.._moment_…was I?" she questioned, a sly grin creeping from the corner of her mouth.

Jimmy couldn't help but feel his face flush over, his mouth tried to form words that his brain couldn't, "…fewh…ahh..hah..I…hwen…."

"Don't worry about it Jimmy, I understand…deployment must have been veeeerryy hard for you.." her words held laughter, which just caused further embarrassment for Jimmy, "…I just wanted you to know that dinner will be ready in twenty. Mom made your favorite pot roast, and that Sheen, Carl, and Libby will be here in the morning. So uhm….just come down when you're.._relieved_." she wiggled her eyebrows and gave him a large cheesy grin before closing the door.

By now, Jimmy probably looked as red as a tomato, as he buried his face into the sheets again to scream his embarrassment, realizing that it wasn't helping due to the scent being on the sheets, he let out another frustrated scream and threw the sheets on the floor.

"Dammit…Cindy!"

He growled at the sheets, and then looked up at his window to the other side of the street. Instantly he saw her, sitting at her vanity and brushing her hair. He stared for a while, and wondered where they went wrong, where he went wrong. His eyes became sad at the thought of her last letter.

_I love you. But I'm not in love with you._

_What the hell is that supposed to mean…what did I do!_ He wondered to himself, but his thoughts were dashed when he saw a figure climbing up her drainpipe and knock on her window. He moved behind his curtain so she wouldn't see him as she walked over and opened up the latch, letting the stranger in before embracing him. Jimmy growled between gritted teeth.

_Nick…_

He moved from the curtain and stood in front of his window and watched as Cindy grabbed her curtains to pull them close. As if by fate, her eyes went up to catch Jimmy staring at her from the other side of the street, his eyes full of hurt, anger, and…betrayal? Longing? _No…it couldn't be…_

She looked away and closed the curtains.

_He brought this upon himself…he's the one who left._


	3. Unintentional Motives

Chapter 3: Unintentional Motives

_Cindy,_

_There's this really amazing girl I met who is in my unit, and we have a lot in common. I want to keep this short, so I think that maybe we should take a break from each other to see new people, since we're far apart and all. It's difficult when you're not near. _

_Jimmy_

Jimmy groaned as the rays from the sun entered through his window and lit up his room. Rubbing his eyes he climbed out of bed and stretched, yawning loudly as Goddard activated and jumped off the bed.

"Feels good to wake up in a regular bed and not some cardboard mattress…" Jimmy mused as he rose to his feet and rubbed the back of his head absentmindedly; walking over to the large mirror propped against the wall he took a long look at himself. He had not been able to really look at himself since he'd been back from deployment; he'd almost forgotten what he looked like.

The man in the mirror staring back at him was, without a doubt, very handsome. Jimmy looked at his complexion, pleased that he didn't look too rugged or rough. Rather, he had an athletic build, strong jaw and power in his eyes. He looked just muscular enough to hold his own against a powerhouse brute, but his appearance leaned more toward the build of a boxer or MMA fighter like Taurus Corbbrey.

He sighed at himself as his bedroom door swung open and Elizabeth walked in, still clad in her pajamas.

"Jimmy! Stop admiring yourself and get dressed!"

He turned his head to her and smiled, "Do we have plans today?"

She returned his smile and nodded, "Carl and Libby and Sheen are coming! They wanted to take you to the Candybar."

His smile broadened, _It's been so long…_

Across the street, Cindy had been awake before Jimmy, and had caught a glimpse of Jimmy staring at himself in his mirror. She smiled lightly, _has he become_ that _full of himself or what?_

She would not deny it though; even from far away she could see that great physique of his, right down to his boxers with little atoms all over it. She turned her head away from the window and looked over at Nick, sleeping soundly with her sheets barely covering his hips. He had muscles too, and a nice outline of a six-pack on his tan skin.

_Just an outline though…it's not as defined as Jimmy's_…she thought to herself, then quickly shook her head…_ what am I saying? I haven't seen Jimmy's body up close in years…I wouldn't know if he still had it.._

There was a soft knock on her door, but it was enough to jolt Nick awake as the two of them exchanged quick glances.

"_Hide_!" Cindy hissed, and it didn't take long for Nick to jump to his feet and under her bed in a single smooth motion as the door swung open and her father stepped in.

"G-Good morning daddy…" she smiled and walked over to her father, placing a light kiss on his cheek.

"I came in to see if you wanted some breakfast. Your mother was worried that you didn't come down to eat at 0700…" he smiled.

She blinked in confusion and looked over at her clock that read 0830. "I overslept!"

Her father chuckled, "Don't worry, we saved you some leftovers. Skyler was dead set on consuming everything and leaving you with nothing."

"That little twerp!" her face turned slightly pink and her father found it amusing. He reached his hand up and cupped her cheek.

"You're adorable when you get upset you know that?"

This caused Cindy to blink again. It seemed a little odd to her that he was overly affectionate lately. It had begun about a year after her secret break-up with Jimmy. Her father seemed to call constantly when she was in L.A. He'd even offered to fly over and spend some time with her. Of course, she had rebuffed the idea...if he had visited he would've found out Nick and her were living under the same roof.

He looked at her with a loving smile, and she quickly recovered from the odd moment and returned his grin with a smile of her own.

"Dad I need to get dressed, so tell mom I'll be down in a minute?"

There seemed to be a brief moment where her father's jaw clenched as if he were going to say something, but he simply nodded and turned, closing the door behind him. As the door shut, she let out a sigh of relief as a naked Nick rolled out from under her bed.

"Guess we shouldn't have sex for 4 straight hours…we didn't even hear your alarm because we were so knocked out…" he smiled seductively.

She rolled her eyes,_ I was awake before the alarm and just shut it off…I just lost track of time because of Jimmy… _

She grumbled, realizing that she had been thinking about Jimmy just a bit too much since his return. She didn't even realize that Nick was behind her, tracing his fingertips along her back and placing light kisses on her neck. She suddenly shivered and pulled away.

"Not in the mood right now Nick…" she mumbled, her mind still in a heated debate about Jimmy and the awkward presence of her father. Nick simply shrugged and turned away to pull his jeans and shirt on. Nothing could faze him, after all, he just had her for the entire night and he felt his hips were sore anyway.

Soon he was fully clothed; he walked over to her and lifted her chin to place a quick kiss on her lips.

"I'll be back tonight then babe."

And just like that, he shimmied down the drainpipe and left. She let out a sigh and proceeded to the bathroom to clean herself up.

**2 hours later**

Jimmy was sitting on the patio of his home when Libby, Carl and Sheen pulled up into his driveway. Libby was the first to run up to him and tackle him as he sat there.

"JIMMY! I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU!" She laughed and sat in his lap, her arms resting across his shoulders as he smiled at her.

"You too Libby! Congratulations on Sheen's proposal too."

"DOGPILE ON JIMMY!"

Sheen ran over and embraced Jimmy, with Libby still in Jimmy's lap, followed by Carl. Soon, Jimmy couldn't hold all of the weight and got crushed. All four of them laughing like old times.

"You guys are gonna kill me!" Jimmy gasped from under their bodies.

"You love it!" Sheen exclaimed

"We're all back together again!" Carl screamed in joy. "…except Cindy, she's not here…"

At the mention of Cindy, the group became silent. Sheen and Libby looked over at Jimmy, waiting for his reaction. Jimmy simply ran his fingers through his hair lazily and shrugged.

"She's a bit busy screwing Nick, so don't expect her to hang around much.."

Libby let out an angry sigh, "She's making a mistake with that man. I'm telling you Jimmy, she was thinking with her 'physical parts' while you were gone, she doesn't love him."

"Well she doesn't love me either." He said matter-of-factly.

His tone was so very stoic that everyone around him felt a chill of grief creep up their spine. Libby put a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly.

"Jimmy, you know you're loved by us right? Your sister, and your mom and dad…we all love you. I mean, none of us really know what went on in her head when you two split via snail-mail, but we're here for you Jimmy."

He smiled at this as his hand covered hers, "I know."

"Yeah!" Sheen exclaimed as his arm snaked it's way around Libby's waist, "One big happy family, we don't need anything else or anyone else to bring us down! Let's just spend today having some good fun alright?"

Jimmy laughed and nodded, "Yeah, it'll be just like old times…"

Carl spoke up, "As long as there's plenty of food involved I'll be happy."

"Don't forget me!"

The four adults turned as Elizabeth jumped into Jimmy's arms, smiling happily. "I'm tagging along, and I won't take no for an answer!"

At that moment, Cindy stepped out of her house and saw the group laughing happily together. She looked directly at Jimmy, his face the epitome of pure joy from being surrounded by friends again.

_My friends too_…she thought to herself…_I could at least try to be civil with Jimmy around, if he's able to pretend that none of this is his fault then dammit I'll just enjoy myself!_

It was Lizzy who saw Cindy stalking across the street towards them, and she let her expression turn into a scowl.

"GO AWAY!"

Jimmy raised an eyebrow at her abruptness, turning to see who she was yelling at. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Cindy Vortex staring at him fiercely. As soon as she was but 5 inches from his face, she lifted a finger and poked him on the nose.

"I would like to come along to wherever you're all going. I think an old group hangout would be great for _everyone_."

"You can't just invite yourself _girl_…" Libby retorted, the hint of annoyance was present in her tone as Sheen rubbed his neck nervously and Carl began to hyperventilate.

Jimmy on the other hand, kept his cool. _If it's one thing I learned from joining the service, it's to never break._ He smiled to himself.

"Why Vortex, I knew my appearance would cause you to fall madly in love with me once again…" He scoffed, the look of arrogance clear on his face as he poked fun at Cindy.

Her face fell as she felt heat creep up her cheeks, "WHAT! That's bullshit Neutron, I-I… I just want to spend time with everyone again, that's all!"

He leaned forward almost mockingly, "You had a whole week to spend time with our friends before I arrived and yet you haven't. _Until I showed up._"

She couldn't win this one. Not against a Jimmy-turned-Special-Forces-type. She only had one ace up her sleeve, and though it was below the belt, she had to win.

Her hands inched upward slowly, tracing the length of his strong forearms, causing Jimmy to lean back slightly and his mouth go slack from her light touch. His body began to heat up. Cindy smiled as seductively as possible, and leaned forward so only Jimmy could hear.

"Don't _act_ like you don't want me to be _near _you_, James_…"

His body shivered, his heart raced, he watched her pull away from him, still smiling. He could only nod, at a loss for words.

"..F-Fine…" he muttered.

"Ugh….you sap.." Lizzy grumbled as she made her way into Libby's car, the rest of the group following suit.

Cindy turned to follow them, a somewhat pleased expression on her face. I still got it. She turned her head slightly to look back at Jimmy and flipped her hair.

"Are you coming?"

He nodded again, and as Cindy turned back once more to walk to the car, his eyes traveled to her waist and then her ass, swaying teasingly before him. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and followed her to the car.


	4. Undesired Effect

**Author's Note:** Here is Chapter 4! I do not typically make auther notes, but I just wanted to give a shout out to all my subscribers who have been enjoying the story thus far. I also want to thanks those of you who have taken the time to write a review for the story too, I really appreciate that. Now, this particular chapter is awefully **LEMONEY.** It's got a lot of** LEMONEY-goodness**. So if you are squeemish, or whichever, please turn around now! RUN AWAY! But if you have no issues, and you want to se ehow the story unfolds, go on and read, and don't forget to review as well :) Happy Samhain everyone!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4:<strong> The Undesired Effect

The group was laughing, Carl had just given himself a brain-freeze with the newest ChocoSwirl DELUXE milkshake at the Candy Bar, and as he held his head and groaned in agonizing pain Cindy couldn't help but glance over at the young soldier sitting just several inches to her left.

_Jimmy…_she wondered in her mind. She took in the sight of him since he wasn't in his uniform anymore. Jimmy wore some dark blue jeans and a red-plaid collar-shirt with a plain black t-shirt underneath. His collar-shirt was unbuttoned, and she could clearly see his defined muscles through that thin black fabric. He was well-built, and as her eyes drifted south she couldn't help but feel warmth creep along her cheeks.

Jimmy's jeans couldn't conceal himself, there was a slight bulge in his pants, but she could tell that it wasn't from arousal. _He's not hard at all... dammit, just how big has it gotten to LOOK like that!_

She shook her head, ignoring the heat moving between her thighs. She decided to look at his face instead. His eyes, still their enticing deep-sea blue, enchanted her somehow. His eyes always seemed to thrill her, especially the way he used to look at her.

_Those days_… She couldn't remember the feel of his body dominating hers, the strong husk that came from his skin when she buried her face into the crook of his neck, the taste…the desire…the love they shared for one another that transcended beyond anything known in the world. It seemed like a long forgotten memory now.

_Where did we go wrong, Neutron? Was I really no good… that you had to…._ She felt herself leaning forward, as if trying to get a better look at him. That's when the table became quiet, and Jimmy turned his head slightly to look at her with a curious expression.

"Something on my face…Vortex?"

She blinked, feeling her blush rise again as she jolted backward and frowned. "You mean besides the look of hypocrisy?"

This seemed to catch everyone off guard, especially Jimmy. His face contorted into a look of confusion and questioning. Cindy caught it, and for a split second, she wondered if maybe she had jumped the gun with what she said.

"Is there something you need to say or ask me, Cindy?" Jimmy questioned, his voice was calm but unnaturally low, and it gave Cindy reason to doubt the man sitting in front of her. If he was an honest guy, and so sure of himself, why would he look at her like that? Like he felt guilty?

At this moment however, Lizzy slammed her drink on the table and pointed a threatening finger at Cindy.

"DON'T INSULT MY BIG BROTHER YOU SKANK! YOU'RE THE HYPOCRITE HERE!"

Libby gently covered her mouth and hushed her, but not before several heads turned to see what all the noise was about. Cindy just stared back at Jimmy, as if an internal conversation was going on between the two that no one else could comprehend.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, and while everyone else in the CandyBar turned to look at where the noise came from, Jimmy bolted from his seat, covered his head and hit the floor. Cindy stared at him in disbelief.

"Neutron get up! You're embarrassing yourself…the busboy just dropped some glasses…"

She pointed at the young waiter who was on the floor, grumbling and trying to pick up the shards of glass covered with ice cream. Jimmy however, would not move from his place on the floor. His body was rigid, and he was speaking softly to himself.

Cindy bent down and placed her hand on his shoulder, leaning forward to listen to him.

"…take cover….dead…they're all…dead…..rounds….sirens…" he uttered, his faced began to sweat.

She felt her heart race in worry, even as Libby and the others tried to coax him to rise up, she saw the look in his eyes. It seemed as if they weren't his own and it scared her. Her body went numb as he stared straight past her, as if re-living some kind of crazy scenario. He didn't even realize that he was in the CandyBar with friends. He probably didn't even know he was in Retroville.

"Jimmy, it's ok…" Libby stroked the back of his head, and this seemed to bring him back slightly, as he turned to crane his neck and look at her, the fear in his expression disappearing slowly.

"L-Libby….I'm…"

"You're home…Jimmy…nothing's going on."

At this, he slowly rose up, his body covered in a thin cold sweat. Libby pulled him into her arms and held him tightly, followed by Lizzy who also wrapped her arms around Jimmy's waist, Sheen and Carl coming over as well to pat Jimmy on the back comfortingly.

_What…the hell…just happened?_ Cindy wondered, watching the scene unfold before her eyes.

It went on for a good 5 minutes before Jimmy pulled away, seemingly normal again, and he smiled softly to his friends and sister.

"Thanks guys…thanks again…"

"Jimmy…" Libby began, "…you know you should go see-"

"I know." He cut her off, "I can handle it…It's not as bad as before, remember?"

Libby sighed, she wouldn't force him to do something he wasn't comfortable with, but she was worried.

Jimmy took Elizabeth's hand into his and rubbed it gently, "I'm alright Lizzy, don't cry…"

Lizzy was holding back tears, she always hated it when Jimmy would freak out and do things like that. She wanted to help him, but she didn't know how.

"Neutron…"

Jimmy turned to Cindy, and his face became a look of annoyance which surprised her.

"Look Vortex, I don't need you to start asking me about….about what just happened. You don't care about me anyway right? Faking sympathy is low…even for you."

She felt taken aback by his statement, "You just fell to the ground covering your head because of the sound of glass shattering!" she argued, "Don't tell me not to worry!"

"He SAID he doesn't need your fake sympathy!" Lizzy growled at her, "You ska-"

"Just leave it alone Vortex." Jimmy interjected, shaking his head at her, "You missed out on a lot of things that happened when you decided to leave me."

"Wha-"

"…AND replace me, in barely a week. That still astounds me, baffles me even…" his jaw clenched, the very memory of her actions fueled him with fury, "…but I'll tell you now Vortex; my life is better off without you."

Something somewhere in Jimmy's heart told him that was a big fat lie, but he buckled that doubt inside of him and stood firm.

Cindy looked at him, at a loss for words, and when she said nothing in retaliation Jimmy turned away from her to look at his friends.

"Sorry guys, I'm not up for a hangout today…maybe tomorrow or something."

They agreed in silence with a simple nod, and Lizzy looped her arm into Jimmy's and patted it comfortingly.

"Let's go home then Jimmy, I bet you're tired."

He nodded at this, "Yeah…I'm tired…"

Cindy watched as the two departed from the CandyBar, and then she turned to look at Libby, Carl, and Sheen, who returned her stare with a look of death.

"Why are you all looking at me like this is my fault!"

"Because it kind of is…" Sheen grumbled.

"If you hadn't had came along, Jimmy wouldn't be so worried about his…his…." Carl couldn't find the words to explain it.

Libby hushed Carl and told them both to drop it as well. "Come on, let's all just go for a walk or something…"

The four of them agreed and left the CandyBar.

***Jimmy's House***

"Jimmy, please…_please_ get some help?" Lizzy begged him; she was on her knees as her hands rested on Jimmy's lap while he sat on the sofa.

"I'm _fine…_" He tried to laugh it off, but found he couldn't. Lizzy was not pleased with that answer.

"Everyone is worried about you…even…"she grumbled, "…even Cindy looked worried…you know?"

He looked at her with mild amusement, "Cindy doesn't care, Lizzy. She has Nick, and we couldn't even maintain a friendship after she left me. It's impossible…"

"UGH! YOU'RE impossible…" she shot up from the floor and ran upstairs to her room.

Jimmy sighed, leaning back into the cushions and contemplating the day's events. _Cindy really did seem worried…_he thought to himself…_but she's always had a way of tricking people….she's sly like that…_

He closed his eyes briefly, before falling asleep, he heard a small voice in the back of his mind whisper...

_You miss her_

**Elsewhere**

Sheen and Carl decided to leave the girls alone for a bit, and headed into a game store to check out several magazines. Libby and Cindy stayed outside of the building in quiet company until Libby broke the ice.

Libby stepped up to Cindy and let out a long, drawn out breath that she had been holding in, "Look Cin… Jimmy is hurting, _bad_…"

Cindy tilted her head slightly, a little caught off guard by the discussion, "Because we split up? It was his idea!"

Libby's eyebrow quirked at this, but she shook her head, "No! I'm talking about his PTSD…"

"P…PTSD?"

Libby nodded, "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

This was news to Cindy, especially since Jimmy had been so upbeat since his arrival. "You've got to be kidding…Jimmy's not…"

"Do I look like I'm spinnin' a false track here Cin!"

"N-No! I just meant…I didn't mean you were….I…" She fumbled.

"Jimmy's been suffering for six years…he won't go to the doctor to get some help, he's afraid it'll make things harder for his fellow soldiers out there…if they take him out of work to give him some medication and stuff like that…"

Cindy looked at the floor, _What could have happened…if it's not our split-up that's driving him up the walls, then what…?_

"I'm only telling you because of how you looked at him."

Cindy's eyes shot up to look at Libby, who just shrugged.

"We're all convinced you're not into him, but you looked really worried when you saw him laying there."

She nodded at this. _I was….wasn't I…? _She placed her hand over her heart as her expression changed to confusion. _Why though….after what he did…? I couldn't possibly still love him…_

Libby motioned for Carl and Sheen through the window that she was ready to go home, and as they began to step outside, Libby turned once more to Cindy.

"I'm not sure what happened between the two of you…it sucks that we can't all get along anymore. However, I expect the two of you to at least be civil at Sheen and I's wedding next week." She smiled lightly, her tone growing serious, "You said that this fight between you two has something to do with him, but based off of the letters that you sent to Jimmy, and you just leaving Retroville without telling us your side…you have to understand why none of us can accept your actions unless you tell us the truth."

Cindy didn't move from her spot, but her mind was asking so many questions. She wasn't sure which one she wanted to ask, but her mouth formed the words for her.

"Which letters…?"

"The ones about you not loving him anymore and wanting to see other people, the ones about not being in love with him."

At this, Cindy shook her head violently and shouted, "NO! HE'S LIEING! HE'S THE ONE WHO SENT ME THOSE!"

Libby seemed to consider Cindy's statement, for it sounded genuine and angry as well. But she turned and began to leave, replying while she walked away with the boys.

"Talk to him about it."

Cindy stood there, shaking with fury. _He told them that I'm the one who left! I bet he just wrote the letters, sent them to me, and then repeated that nonsense to them!_

She stormed home, shutting the front door behind her in anger as he father peaked his head from his spot on the sofa.

"Rough day baby girl?"

"That's an understatement!" She growled as she went up the stairs, her father's gaze never leaving her figure until she disappeared from his sight.

She opened the door to her room and found Nick sitting on her bed, smiling casually.

"You were gone for a while, but I figured I'd wait it out and surprise you when you came home."

She shut the door behind her and locked it, the anger still present in her eyes. It seemed to get Nick excited and Cindy noticed it immediately, for the rise in his pants was evident. She threw off her jacket and made her way to the bed. Without even a hint of a warning, she was on him, attacking his mouth with fervor. It was new to Nick, but he saw this as a good thing, as she was tugging his clothes off of him while attempting to undo her own restrictions.

Her mind was racing now. _Damn that Jimmy Neutron! DAMN HIM! I'll get him back for all of this..._

Soon they were both naked, and as Nick rolled her onto her back on the bed, she continued to think about Jimmy, an internal conflict rising between her mind and her heart.

_His fault! …_

_But…it doesn't sound like something he'd do…_

_But he did it! _

_There has to be a mistake…Jimmy isn't cold like that…he's sweet….he's always been sweet…he's always loved me, no matter the distance between us..and I….I still…I think I still...  
><em>

She could feel Nick's heavy breathing on her neck, but she wasn't focused on him at all, not in the slightest. Even as she looked back at him above her, his image began to distort, and instead of Nick overtaking her, she envisioned Jimmy, and suddenly she felt an overwhelming pleasure course through her body that she hadn't felt in a long time.

_Jimmy….more…more…! I need ...you...!_

Her body arched up to meet his every push. Though she was imagining it, it was as if she could remember the feeling again: the feeling of being with Jimmy, being one with Jimmy, belonging to Jimmy.

Nick let out a low moan and uttered her name as he felt a build up in his groin, and it was the sound of his voice and the fact that this pleasure only lasted for 10 minutes, that Cindy realized it wasn't Jimmy she was making love to, it was Nick.

She ceased her movement as he pushed into her once more before collapsing, obviously spent. She sighed, still feeling the rush of her hormones coursing through her body and the feeling of un-satisfaction.

"Leave."

Nick's body stiffened at the word, "…huh?"

"I said leave…" Cindy pushed him off of her body gently, and motioned for him to pick up his clothes and go.

"Why?"

"I just…I have a lot on my mind…I'm sorry I jumped on you like that…I was angry and I needed to forget about something. It didn't work though…now it's bothering me even more…" she sighed and stared at him for a moment before pulling her clothes back on.

He seemed to consider this briefly, before putting his clothes back on his sweaty body and making his way to the window, _this is a new record...leaving so soon like this,_ he thought to himself. As he pushed her window open he looked back at her and smiled sadly.

"Cindy, I know I'm only ever gonna be second best to the guy you're really in love with…but I want you to know that you're first place in my heart."

She gave him a soft smile as he jumped out her window and left.


	5. Those Crossroads

**Author's Notes:** Ahh, so we're here with another chapter and no reviews from the last two updates…but plenty of new subscribers! So I guess that balances out fine. In this chapter, you'll get a glimpse of some real life scenarios that we soldiers deal with when we come home. For instance, Jimmy's mom in his room is a true story that happened to a good friend of mine who served in my unit. It was terrifying, but he's doing fine now. Anyway, just read on!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Those Crossroads<strong>

"Sheen, come back to bed…" Libby pleaded with her fiancé as he paced the floor back and forth in his Ultralord boxers, worry creased in his features.

"It's been a week already..and Jimmy hasn't called or anything. He won't come out to greet us when we visit…and even WHEN we manage to get him out onto his front porch she doesn't speak a single word…"

He ran his fingers through his hair and grumbled. He used to be able to do anything that would cheer Jimmy up. He could accidentally light himself on fire and that would earn a chuckle from Jimmy. Nowadays, he couldn't read his_ best friend_ anymore; he didn't know what ticked in him. Sheen wanted to though, he wanted to know desperately how to be there for Jimmy and to prove that he still cared about him like a brother from another mother.

"Jimmy's in a lot of pain, and he's my best friend. There's got to be something I can do for him…" He sighed as he turned to look at Libby, who was covering her semi-naked body with the brand new silk sheets they had purchased. She just smiled at him.

"Sheen baby, I'm worried for Jimmy too. He's one of my best friends you know? Remember when he first came back, and we found out about his PTSD? More than ever, he needs our support. But worrying here in your own home with your future wife looking on helplessly is a bit much don't you think?"

He tilted his head slightly and stared at her, realizing she was right: they were to be married and he needed to focus on _them_ before trying to help Jimmy. He was awed by her, she was beautiful and brilliant. The way the dim lighting played along her dark skin and the way the sheets teased him by covering the rest of her. He crawled onto the bed and towards her, planting a soft kiss to her lips.

"I'm sorry Libs…" he whispered against her ear, his soft breath on her earlobe made her giggle.

"No, don't be. I completely understand." Her arms rose up to wrap around and rest lightly on his neck and shoulders, "We're going to help Jimmy together."

He nodded once more before kissing her again, "I love you…I don't want to lose you.."

She returned the kiss, instinctively knowing that he mostly referred to the fidelity of Cindy. "I will _never _leave you Sheen Estevez." She stared at him deeply in the eyes as she spoke with seriousness, and then playfully added, "No one could make me laugh like you anyway, and you know humor is the key to a woman's heart."

Sheen smirked at this, "I thought it was music's rhythmic beat that turned you on."

"Well that's true too.."

Sheen's grin widened as he leant forward to place a soft kiss to her neck, earning a hum of pleasure from Libby who gripped him a little tighter.

He whispered against her skin, "Shall we make some music tonight…?"

The smiled was evident in her tone as she felt him lower her gently back into the bed sheets, "You rock my world baby…"

* * *

><p>Jimmy sat on his bed in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, the curtains were closed, his door locked. The darkness of his room enveloped him. He didn't mind, the darkness was his element now, he thrived in it.<p>

He had spent the better-half of the week with his family entirely, though in a calm silence, and avoided contact with his friends since the "incident" at the Candy Bar. There was a sense of shame and guilt in his chest that he couldn't understand since Cindy saw his reaction.

"It's just a bunch of old memories…it shouldn't be this difficult…"

He closed his eyes, trying to think of a logical and scientific way to rid himself of the horrific images in his mind. He tried to remember all the great things he had done for the Military thus far: Inventions of protection, faster jetpacks, medical devices that could prolong death a little longer until help arrived. But he couldn't shake the terrible guilt in his chest; no matter how much "praise" he had received, _he_ failed himself. That memory played as clear as day….

_There was sand, a lot of sand. He was driving towards what looked like an overturned army vehicle; the ground beside it was black and disturbed an indicator of a roadside blast. His heart was pounding._

_Let them be alright! Oh God, please let them be alright..._

_He jumped out of his vehicle and ran the rest of the way, his weapon slung across his chest and a medical bag ready in his arms. The armored vest he wore made it difficult to run fast enough, but he could see as he approached, the vehicle was completely overturned, and there was glass everywhere. The ground was stained with blood. As he pace slowed to a walk, he dropped the medical bag and fell to his knees._

_They're….all…_

_Body parts were scattered all over the sand and dirt road. He saw a severed arm lying a few feet from the blast; a wedding ring on the finger. He saw a soldier sliced in half from the waist up was hanging outside the gunner's hatch from a thread of epidermis; the soldier was young, about 18 years old. Jimmy's eyes traveled to the trademark symbol that was covered by the blood of the soldier: Jimmy's initials, his signature, surrounded by an atom. Proof that this vehicle was created by him, this vehicle that failed to keep a married man and a young male safe… _

"It's my fault…I made a faulty vehicle…." He mumbled, not realizing he was in his room. There was a soft knock on his door.

"Jimmy?" Lizzy's voice came through, "Are you coming down to-"

"It's my fault…" he spoke a little louder, and Lizzy placed her hands on his door.

"J-Jimmy?"

He got off the bed and walked to the center of his room, falling to his knees as he felt his heart racing at the memory, the images of his fellow soldiers laying dead around the vehicle…. a vehicle that _he_ had assured everyone in his unit, was safe. His hands rose and clutched the sides of his head, the pain of the memory was like a drill.

"I KILLED THEM!" He screamed, rising to his feet as he spun around and roared in anger, his fist swinging into his closet door mirror.

Lizzy, upon hearing the glass shatter, started banging on his door, "JIMMY! JIMMY! MOM! DAD! SOMEONE HELP!"

Instantly, Mr. and Mrs. Neutron appeared at her side. Mrs. Neutron pulled Lizzy away from the door, trying to calm her hysterical crying while attempting to keep herself composed as well. Mr. Neutron back away and rammed into Jimmy's door, trying to break it down.

"I KILLED THEM! THIS IS MY FAULT! IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME!" Jimmy swung into the broken mirror again, crushing his fist into the frame. His hands were dripping blood, and the glass on the floor had cut up his feet.

"GUUUUAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAAHHHHH!" His body went rigid, and as his bedroom door finally broke at the hinge he made a choking sound, his eyes rolling back into his head and collapsed.

"JIMMY!" Mrs. Neutron ran into the room and held her son in her arms, crying.

Lizzy came into the room, sitting beside her mother and holding Jimmy's bloody hand as Mr. Neutron ran downstairs to call an ambulance.

* * *

><p>"Jimmy's in the hospital!"<p>

"Yes! Please come meet us there!" Lizzy voice was soft and raspy, likely from crying, or so Libby deduced when she called her at midnight. Now, she and Sheen were driving to Retroville Hospital, with Carl in the backseat.

Sheen's grip tightened on the steering wheel …. _Jimmy…I should've been more aware…!_

He felt Libby's hand rest on top of his lovingly, and he felt a rush of tears escape from his eyes.

"He's really hurting and I wasn't there…"

"It's gonna be okay Sheen…" she assured him.

They parked the car and ran in through the double-doors of the hospital. After running through the hallways, they found Lizzy and her parents sitting in the waiting room. Lizzy rose up and ran into Libby's arms, sobbing.

"Jimmy got worse! He's….he's…!"

"Shhh….it's alright. Jimmy's strong; he's going to be ok."

The doctor stepped through the emergency room door and walked up to Mr. and Mrs. Neutron.

"Is our son alright doctor?" Mrs. Neutron asked cautiously.

The doctor removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly, "James Neutron will be fine. He just had an attack and it caused him to hyperventilate and fall unconcious. We have him set up with an IV. He's awake now, but he seems tired, which is normal."

Mr. and Mrs. Neutron sighed in relief, as did the rest of the crew. The doctor then pulled out several documents from Jimmy's file and cleared his throat.

"Your son had been diagnosed previously with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Is there a reason that he has not been admitted to counseling and therapy?"

"Our son didn't want to go…" Mr. Neutron spoke, "…and we couldn't force him, he wouldn't have any of it."

"I see.." the doctor read though the paperwork, " 'Serious case of schizophrenia and hallucinations. Often talks about death and ending his own life to make it even.'"

He looked up from the paper at the shocked expressions on their faces, even Lizzy and the others were stunned.

"NO!" Lizzy cried out, "Jimmy's not like that! He's not…so selfish as to even think about suicide…"

"I cannot speak on behalf of James…" the doctor began, "…but he is a smart man, and if he is hurting as bad as it seems, he will need everyone's support at this time. He must be supervised; we do not know what a brilliant man like him is capable of doing to himself…or to others."

"Don't imply something about Jimmy when you don't know him!" Lizzy screamed angrily at the doctor as she ran through the door behind him to Jimmy.

"Please excuse our daughter; she's very protective of Jimmy…" Mrs. Neutron smiled apologetically.

"Not at all Mrs. Neutron, it's understandable."

At that moment, Cindy and her younger brother Skyler walked into the waiting room. There was a momentary pause between them and the group standing before them.

Libby spoke up first, her tone slightly surprised, "Cindy? Are you here for Jimmy?"

Cindy's eyebrow rose questioningly, "No…Skyler has Sport's Asthma so we're getting him a new inhaler at the pharmacy…"

Skyler crossed his arms, "I refuse to quit the baseball team because of stupid asthma."

Cindy stepped forward, "What happened to Neutron?"

Libby eyed her warily, "He… had another attack."

"Like at the Candy Bar kind of attack?"

"Worse..he got violent on himself and injured his hands. Then he hyperventilated and passed out."

_What?_ Cindy thought, she cast her eyes to the doorway where Jimmy was. Something in her clicked, and she dropped the paperwork for Skyler's inhaler as she ran passed the group, the doctor and Jimmy's parents through the door. The doctor chuckled.

"James has a lot of good friends…"

Cindy turned the corner and stopped at a room's entrance. Her voice caught in her throat at the sight of Jimmy laying on the hospital-bed, his hands and feet were wrapped in bandages. He was indeed awake, with Lizzy sitting at his side. The three of them exchanged glances.

"Vortex…why are you here?" Jimmy inquired, though his voice was gentle, but stern.

"I…I was here because of Skyler's asthma medicine but then I heard you were hurt." She stepped into the room cautiously, watching to see if Lizzy would jump at her from her seat and fight her. But to Cindy's surprise, the girl remained stationary as Cindy took a seat on the opposite side of the bed.

Jimmy's eyes were searching hers, and he found that her nervous twitches and light blush was endearing. Though he couldn't understand what she was nervous about, he was glad to have her acquaintance.

"Cindy can I apologize?"

"For what?"

He thought for a second. _I'm sure there's a lot to apologize for, but even so…I don't exactly know what she's particularly mad about… _"The Candy Bar. I shouldn't have snapped back at you like that. You didn't know about my situation, that's all there is to it, there was no need for me to bring up the past."

She swallowed, "Uhm….Elizabeth, can you give your brother and I a few minutes to talk?"

Lizzy stared at Cindy for a while, then nodded silently. She reached over to give Jimmy a kiss on the forehead and headed out, closing the door behind her.

Cindy took a deep breath and spoke, "Libby told me that…that I sent you letters about not being in love with you anymore and finding someone else…is this true?"

Jimmy looked puzzled, the conversation was a surprising one, "Well...yes. You sent me three letters that stated you were falling out of love with me and falling for someone else. You never said who, I had assumed it was Nick. Then I received one final letter from you about a two months later…saying it was over between us."

Cindy looked at the blanket, playing with the edge, "I remember the last letter, but the three you're talking about…I don't remember writing those."

Jimmy stared at her, "You don't remember? How can you forget…they were cruel!"

"I mean that I didn't write anything like that!" She snapped, "I received three letters from you! Three that said YOU were falling out of love with ME and had found someone else!"

Jimmy sat up in the hospital bed, glaring at her, "THAT DOESN'T EVEN SOUND LIKE SOMETHING I'D DO CINDY!"

"OH AND IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING _I WOULD_ DO?"

"MORE THAN ME!"

"THAT'S ABSURD!"

They both became quiet, looking anywhere but at each other. The same thought ran in both their minds:

_If he/she didn't write those, then who did?'_

Cindy got up from her seat and turned to begin walking out until she felt Jimmy's hand shoot out to grab her wrist. She looked back at him; his eyes alight with passion, and she couldn't help but blush.

"So then if what you're saying is true…you never fell out of love with me?"

Cindy felt herself turn even more crimson as he stared back at her with fiery eyes. _What do I say…? I can't just forget all of this and go back…_

"Jimmy…I…" she felt him pull her down and capture her lips with his own. The world seemed quieter now. All they could see, hear, taste and feel was each other. Cindy instantly lost herself in the kiss, her arms subconsciously wrapping around his neck and her body pressed against his. She moaned into his mouth as his hands roamed her body, urging the front of her shirt up, applying light touches to her most intimate areas until her whole body was set aflame with arousal.

Suddenly she jerked away from him, breathing heavily, "No…we…we can't…I need to at least tell Nick first…and…" she stuttered, the look he was giving her was so full of love, desire, passion and lust that she felt her knees weaken and her heart pound with excitement, "….I-I….we…have to find out about these letters before we make any rash decision..!"

The look in his eyes began to dissipate then at this thought. _She's right; we need to find out who's lying between the two of us…or who set us up like this…_

"Okay, Cindy….we'll put this on hold until we figure out the situation."

She blushed again at his straightforwardness and began to pull her shirt down. He watched with amusement until she was done. Then she began to head for the door again, but stopped and turned to look at him.

"Jimmy…promise me you'll get some real help with your PTSD? It would make everyone feel better…and…I would feel better knowing you're getting help."

He looked at her again, and then nodded slowly, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

With that established, she returned his smile and left the room.


	6. It's Darkness

**Author's Notes:** I'm surprised that I actually received a few reviews this time. Yay! I also see that some of you do not like Elizabeth's character, hahaha, that is fine. Maybe she'll change, maybe not. Bitchy characters are always a gas. Anyway, here's the next chapter of the story. Hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to leave some commentaries.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: It's Darkness<strong>

The sky was slightly orange and red when Skyler slowed to a jogging pace on the sidewalk, inhaling deeply to control his sport's asthma. He enjoyed evening runs; it helped him clear his mind and conditioned him for his favorite sport: baseball. Though lately, the running has just been for clearing the mind. With only five more days left until Sheen and Libby's wedding, things have been getting hectic, especially with Jimmy's condition.

_Though I could hardly care about Jimmy Neutron after what he …supposedly did or didn't do…it's just…Cindy's been uppity about it lately…._ he thought to himself silently as he made his way to a water fountain.

After the hospital incident last night, he had spoken with Cindy about her running off and dropping his meds on the floor. She simply shrugged, apologized, and started to blush for no apparent reason. When he pressed her further, she began to question if Jimmy really had written those hurtful letters to her six years ago.

"_What are you saying now sis, that you believe him? Don't you remember how heartbroken you were when he left you! Forgiving him ought to be the last thing on your mind!"_

"_I know, I KNOW!...But there's just something off about the way we broke up. We both got the same letters…"_

"_He could be lying to you!"_

"_Maybe….maybe not."_

He sighed at the memory, _Cindy's not stupid….but she's gullible…how can she believe Neutron? He's a snake in the grass for sure…as _he took a sip of the cold water from the fountain he heard footsteps behind him. He spun around and tensed at the sight of Elizabeth Neutron standing before him.

His demeanor quickly recovered, and he crossed his arms across his chest and glared at her.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of being in your presence, oh great Queen of Retort?"

She shuffled forward, her fists clenching and unclenching in anger, her sharp blue eyes seemed to be attempting to light him on fire.

"I wanted…to say….sorry." she spoke through gritted teeth.

Skyler's eyebrow twitched in response, "..come again?"

"…s-sorry.."

"I didn't quite hear-"

"I WILL _END _YOU!" Her fist rose and she shook it at him, "I'm trying to say _sorry_ for being a bitch to you for the past six years. I need to talk to you about Jimmy and Cindy. I want your opinion, so can we have a truce …for now?"

The corner of his mouth quirked into a slight grin, "Alright, I'll humor you." He motioned to a nearby bench, and as they both took a seat next to one another he began to unzip his dark green hoodie to make himself comfortable. "So what about my sister and your brother?"

Lizzy glanced at him as he was unzipping his sweater and blushed lightly, turning her attention to her hands in her lap, "Cindy seems to have done something to Jimmy…"

"Like what? If she hit him or something, I'm all for it."

"No you idiot…" she sighed, "…She made him better…kind of…I think…. Because he set up an appointment to talk to a therapist in the afternoon and when he came back he seemed like …like he got a few things off his chest now…"

"Oh?" He leant toward her now, interested, "So he's not suicidal and pathetic anymore, or what?"

She glared at him, not liking his airy tone, "Look…I know you don't like my brother…or me come to think of it…but he's got a serious illness and I'd appreciate it if you didn't make a mockery of it."

Skyler tilted his head and smiled, "Your brother broke my sister's heart, and you can't expect me to give the man sympathy."

"If we're going to that level then your sister broke my brother's heart as well, so I'm justified in wanting to burn her alive."

Skyler sat back at this, unable to tell if she was serious or joking, "What is it that makes you so bitter? It's worse than my feelings towards Jimmy. You know, this was all his fault in the first place…"

She sat up abruptly, "Nuh uh! Jimmy didn't deserve all that pain, and I'm just looking out for him. He's really the only one who understands me! So….he needs a strong support, you know?"

"…and that's justification for being an uptight bitch?"

"…well….n-no…"

"So be honest then, Elizabeth…" he leant forward again, this time staring directly into her blue eyes with his emerald ones, "…why are _you _in so much pain?"

She shivered, tried to remove her gaze from his, but found she couldn't. Then Skyler saw it, he saw a lot of hurt in her eyes. It was more than she let on, and it was covered by years of building a defense so strong that it eventually became her identity. She pushed everyone away, only trusting Jimmy because of his own torment.

Skyler opened his mouth to speak, but she silenced him by raising a hand up.

"I've…watched Jimmy fall from the man he once was because of what Cindy 'supposedly' did to him Skyler. My big brother whom was pretty much held in high regard by everyone; even his own enemies respected him, was brought down because of Cindy…because of love."

Skyler's eyes softened then; it was never really about Cindy in the first place. No, it was about suffering. Constant suffering brought upon by what Lizzy thought should never be so painful. Her original idea of love was what she perceived in movies; after all, they were still young. Romantic chick flicks where all the rage at their level. But after seeing a real life romantic relationship get crushed by infidelity….

"You pushed everyone away because you were afraid that they'd hurt you." He stated.

Lizzy stared back at him, a somewhat shocked expression on her face.

He continued, "…People you love, you didn't want them to hurt you, so you hurt them first and made a giant wall around yourself."

Skyler smiled at her now, "Guess I'm right, because now you're crying."

She gasped softly, reaching up to touch the tears streaming down her face. She quickly began to rub them away and turned to avoid his stare, "…S-stupid…don't make assumptions about people you don't know…"

He chuckled softly, reaching out with his right hand to turn her chin towards him. Using his thumb, he wiped away a stray tear, "It's okay to cry you know, you're only human. Getting hurt is also a part of growing up. If you're not gonna experience it, you won't ever grow stronger."

She couldn't stop it then, the tears flowed even more and she slowly wrapped her arms around Skyler, rubbing her tears into his sweater. He sighed, petting the top of her light brown hair. They spent about five minutes in this position until Skyler spoke up.

"Would you feel better if I said I forgive you for being such a pain in the ass?"

She looked up at him, her crying turned to gentle sniffling, "H-how can you…after everything I said and did to you to push you away? After threatening to slice your sister in half and…and…"

He grinned again, "If you really love someone then you're not gonna let a little six year fight ruin the relationship right?"

She stared at him in awe, _are you sure you're thirteen….when did you become so smart…_but her face blushed instantly and she looked away from him.

"…You…uhm….love me?"

He blinked, and then he too began to turn crimson and looked away, "WHAT!...I…I DIDN'T SAY THAT!"

"You just did! JUST NOW!"

"NO I SAID…I…I MEANT IN GENERAL…THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE DO!"

"YOU SPECIFICALLY SAID A SIX YEAR ARGUMENT!"

"KUH….!" His features faltered …something that Skyler Vortex never allows himself to do. He nudged her away and crossed his arms, his face still incredibly red from embarrassment.

Lizzy smiled at him, and for the first time since being at his side, began to laugh. Skyler turned at this and looked at her. Her laughter was innocent and natural, not forced liked it had been the past few years. She was, right now, genuinely happy and enjoying herself. He smiled, and began to laugh as well.

She wiped the tears from her face again and smiled, "Oh…how the heck did we end up here? I wanted to ask your opinion on Jimmy and Cindy…and somehow you ended up playing Dr. Phil with me."

He scooted closer until their arms were touching side-by-side, and grinned, "It helped right? I think we should set up appointments just for you around this time on this bench for a few more weeks, what do you say to that?"

Her smiled widened, "I think you've got a new client… Doctor Vortex…"

He laughed, standing up and stretching his hand out to her, "It's getting pretty late, let me walk you home."

She took his hand and stood up beside him, smiling a genuine smile.

* * *

><p>Cindy knocked on Skyler's door, but received no response. <em>He must still be out jogging, guess I've no company for tonight.<em>

She wandered downstairs and sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the television. Her mother was working late tonight, her brother was out training, Nick called and said he was busy, so now Cindy sat alone in her house and thought about last night.

_Jimmy should be getting some professional help by now, I saw him leave in his parents' car…maybe to an appointment…I hope things get better from here on out…_

The phone rang beside her and she picked it up, surprised to hear Libby's voice.

"Hey girl!"

"Libby! You haven't called me since…well…a long time! What's up?"

"Oh nothing, I'm just getting those pre-wedding jitters. I figured I could talk to you and it would calm me down. "

Cindy laughed at this, overjoyed that she could talk to her best friend like normal again, "Libby, your wedding is in five days, don't be so nervous!"

"I know but it's just too much! So why don't you tell me about your situation with Jimmy to keep me occupied?"

Cindy felt her face flush with heat, "Nothing's going on with Jimmy and I, we're just trying to come to an understanding and…"

"Right, and that's why you came out of his hospital room looking like a felt-up floozie?"

"LIBBY!"

"I'm just saying girl…you and him might be on the right track again…"

"Maybe, these letters are really bugging me. I spoke to him about it but even he was just as confused as I was. Do you think…I dunno..maybe he's lying?"

"Think of it this way Cin… We've known Jimmy since we were kids, it honestly doesn't sound like something he'd do…even if the military changed him somewhat, he's still a sweet guy."

The sincerity in her voice made Cindy relax more, "You're right. Well he said it sounded like it was more of something I would do…" she felt herself blush in embarrassment when Libby laughed at the prospect.

"Listen…did you ever think that maybe neither of you did it?"

"How is that even possible?"

"Okay! I have a theory!"

Cindy could hear the smile in Libby's voice and it made her giggle, "Okay what is it?"

"Say that someone really liked you, and knew that you were with Jimmy. Maybe this person sent BOTH of you fake letters to make you think you sent them to yourselves to make you break up!"

"…Whaa…?"

"Girl it's too easy! Someone close to you who knows your address and Jimmy's address. All the guy has to do is swap out your letters in your mailbox before the mailman comes, put his fake letters "from you" to Jimmy in there and BAM….total relationship annihilation."

"Libby you've been watching too many CSI shows…there's no one that I know, not even Nick, who would sink so low as to-"

The phone was suddenly grabbed away from Cindy's hand and slammed onto the receiver. As Cindy looked up she saw her father's face glaring down at her.

"D-Daddy, you're home…I thought you went on a weekend golfing trip with some of your friends from work?"

"I canceled after I heard your mom would be working late, and no one would be home to watch over you."

His voice seemed incredibly stern, and it made Cindy shift uncomfortably in the sofa. He looked around and smiled lightly, "Is Skyler home?"

She shook her head, slowly getting up off the sofa, "No he went for his usual night-time runs, but he should be ba-"

His hand shot out and grabbed her arm and she stared at him with a scared expression, "Daddy?"

"Who were you talking to…was it James?"

She felt her heart beating faster now, the look in her father's eyes seemed out of place; the look of a jealous man.

"No…I was talking to-"

"That Nick Dean kid?" His grip on her wrist got tighter.

"Daddy…you're…hurting me…"

"About those letters…" he began, moving towards her, "… James Neutron wasn't the one who sent those to you. "

She was confused, "You were listening in on my conversation with Libby? Daddy that's-"

"I'm the one who did it."

Her confusion worsened as she stared blankly at the man holding her firmly by her wrist. He moved even closer until he had both of her arms in his grasp. He was merely five inches away from her, his chest at her eye-level, she had to crane her neck to look up at the man.

"Daddy…you're joking right?"

"No, Cindy. I swapped your love letters in the mail with mine. I also took away his letters from the box before they reached you, and gave you fake ones that were from him."

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO US!"

"Because I love you."

"A father doesn't do that to his daughter's relationships! That's not-"

"You're mistaken Cindy. I am _in_ love with you."

Cindy became horrified next as he pushed her to the ground on the living room floor, his body hovering over hers like a massive shadow.

"Do you remember when you were about six years old…you used to run to mommy, because a man kept coming into your room late at night to sleep next to you in your bed whenever she was still at work?" He held her firmly as she struggled out of his grip, "…and I told you that it was just a dream, and you should pretend that the man wasn't there and just relax and sleep?"

Her mind went into chaos at the memory now, she recalled always waking up with a stranger in her bed beside her. Big hands were on her body and touching her, but because her father said not to worry, she cried softly and attempted to sleep. She always woke up the next day feeling gross and horrible, but the man would be gone, so she assumed it had to have been a dream or delusion.

"…You…?" she uttered

He nodded, "I love you Cindy, until you were thirteen I could slip into your bed and be with you, and you wouldn't say a word. But soon I had to make drastic changes…soon your brother was born and your mother would always been home. I had to slip her something to knock her out, and put something in your food to keep you from waking up as well."

Then she remembered it all. She remembered always feeling tired after dinner, going straight to her room and falling asleep. Seeing weird images of a strange shadow looming over her, kissing her neck, groping her adolescent body.

"YOU'VE BEEN RAPING ME ALL THIS TIME! YOU…MY….DAD!"

He covered her mouth with his free hand and pressed his body against hers to silence her, "I did it because I love you. You're so beautiful and smart, you have to understand. I've loved you since you were a baby…no one can love you like I can…no one can take the place of your daddy. I refuse to let another man enter what belongs to me."

She tried to scream as she felt him tear at her pajama top and tug her bottoms down with her underwear, but his grip on her mouth was strong and she couldn't pull herself free. Her eyes widened in fear as he began to pull down his own sweatpants and boxers.

_No! NO! Won't someone…ANYONE…HELP ME! _

There was a knock on the front door, followed by a voice.

"Cindy?"

She looked past her father to the front door… _JIMMY!_

"Cindy are you home? I brought you a present for helping me yesterday, and I also wanted to come by for my things…my box….hello?"

Cindy's father mumbled a few curse words, but kept his grip on Cindy's mouth tight. He whispered into her ear, "Don't you say a word, or I won't be nice…listen to your daddy…"

She felt fresh tears in her eyes as her heart raced, and she continued to stare at the front door, willing it to open.

Jimmy tapped his foot on the front porch, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Maybe she went out to eat with Nick or something…" he wondered out loud as he tried to peak through the front window, though the curtains were obscuring the room. "The lights are on though…"

He squinted; he saw two forms lying next to the sofa. One appeared to be a large man with blonde hair, whose pants were halfway down.

"Mr. Vortex?" Then he noticed a smaller, more delicate figure under Mr. Vortex. "…Mrs. Vortex?" _Really…getting it on at this hour? Well…I guess sex is good anytime…I hope I didn't startle them…_

He began to turn to leave until he noticed that Cindy's car was still in the driveway, but Mrs. Vortex's car was not.

"Well…they could've switched cars…but that wouldn't make sense…" he turned to look one last time through the window and glimpsed a long strand of golden hair from under Mr. Vortex. His heart began to race and his head was pounding.

_No…it couldn't be…_

He moved in front of the house door and, using all the skills he had learned throughout his military career, kicked the door in clean from its hinges and grabbed Mr. Vortex from the back of his shirt, throwing him off of the girl.

"Cindy…." He mumbled, he didn't want to believe it, he had secretly hoped it was another blonde girl under this man. But no….it was Cindy Vortex, half naked and crying, being sexually assaulted by her own father.

The fury in his eyes could not go unnoticed as he turned slowly towards Mr. Vortex who was still on the ground, staring back at Jimmy with a evil glare and a small smirk.


	7. Monster

Author's Notes: Sorry everyone! I have returned from my deployment, and had my down time! I've started up my college courses again and found some time to write a chapter! WOO!

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><p><strong>Ch. 7 - Monster<strong>

"Hello…James." Mr. Vortex spoke softly as he rose from the floor, pulling his pants back up to his waist.

Jimmy just glared at the man before him, his body standing between Mr. Vortex and Cindy who managed to crawl onto her knees and hide behind Jimmy's legs. Jimmy stiffened slightly as he felt her hands grasp at the hem of his t-shirt, and listened to the difficult and labored breathing she produced between sobs.

"Jimmy! He…! He tried to…. He was always…always! …All…all this time… since I was little…"

Jimmy barely understood the incoherent words she tried to say, but he knew somehow that this man standing in front of him was the cause for her pain. The sight he had seen through the window was proof enough. His fists balled up._ I cannot lose my temper; I have to think thoroughly…! _Oh, but he was finding it harder and harder to avoid the fury building up inside.

"Mr. Vortex… it may not be my place to say this… but you need to leave." Jimmy stated in his coldest tone possible, trying to avoid having a murder on his hands.

Mr. Vortex chuckled, smiling humorously at the two of them, "Truly, it isn't your place. You forget James, this is my house. You can't kick me out of my own home, and she's my daughter. I still have a say in all of this. No one is going to believe the two of you. I am a prestigious figure here in Retroville… and in nearly all of the states of this country. How about I sue you for trespassing?"

Something inside of Jimmy was breaking; he knew it and felt it. That little piece of 'military bearing' that he held in his entire being was quickly dissipating. He wanted to kill this man.

Mr. Vortex turned his attention to Cindy, and his smirk grew wider, "Cindy understands the situation perfectly. Your letters and her letters were switched by me. I refuse to let any man besides myself have her. She is mine. If you come near her again, I'll send all my power to destroy you. Her feelings for you will be the end of you, James. Her entire being, her body, is mine."

"DON'T YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON HER!" Jimmy roared loudly, taking a step towards Mr. Vortex, his body shaking in anger and hate, "I will not allow it!"

"Dad!?"

Jimmy and Mr. Vortex looked towards the doorway to see Skyler and Lizzy standing there, looking confused. Mr. Vortex took the opportunity.

"Sky! Be careful! I came back from golf early to check on you guys and found James here assaulting your sister!"

Jimmy's face turned pale and Cindy's eyes darted to her father and brother, "NO!"

But it was too late; Skyler heard all he needed to hear from Mr. Vortex as he launched his entire body at Jimmy.

"YOU PIECE OF TRASH! I'LL KILL YOU!"

"SKYLER WAIT! YOU MISUNDER-" Jimmy couldn't get the words out, he had to use all his attention to block the onslaught of fists from Skyler, _When did he get so fast and strong!? _Suddenly Lizzy was also grabbing Jimmy by the shirt and trying to pull him out of the house, helping Skyler.

"BOTH OF YOU GOT IT WRONG! IT'S HIM! CINDY! TELL THEM!"

Cindy's eyes continued to stare at her father, his expression said it all: _Tell them and I'll kill Jimmy Neutron, and worse..._

Jimmy growled angrily as he was tossed out of the doorway and into the pavement. Lizzy ran to his side in order to restrain him as he looked up from his place on the floor. He saw Mr. Vortex standing there at the doorway looking down at him with a smug expression.

"Don't let me catch you around here again James, you've been warned."

Jimmy tried to stand up and run back inside, only to be stopped by Lizzy.

"What is wrong with you Jimmy!? Do you want to get in trouble!?"

"You're wrong Lizzy! It wasn't me who did anything to Cindy! We need to get help! Cindy is…!"

Cindy walked up to the doorway, her hair still disheveled, and her clothing torn. She held his gaze with her own and tried to communicate the situation she was in, without causing even more of a scene.

"Jimmy, you have to get out of here. You need to go back to your base...just leave Retroville."

"Cindy I'm not leaving you here with that man!"

Mr. Vortex placed his hand on Cindy's shoulder, and she shivered in fear. She tried to communicate with Jimmy one more time.

"_Les arbres dans la nuit…. _is a good book that you gave me a long time ago, thanks for letting me borrow it Jimmy." With that being said, she turned and ran back inside up to her room.

Jimmy's eye twitched lightly as he watched her retreating figure. He felt Lizzy pulling him back to their side of the street.

"Come on Jimmy, that's enough!"

He kept his death glare on Mr. Vortex before turning and allowing Lizzy to drag him back to the house. After they went inside, Lizzy led him to the sofa and stared at him in disbelief as he sat down.

"Jimmy, tell me the truth. You didn't…you're not that kind of person right?"

"OF COURSE NOT! OF ALL THE REDICULOUS THINGS….! WHY WOULDN'T YOU LISTEN TO ME!?"

"You know Mr. Vortex is a powerful man! I wasn't about to let him destroy you inside and out! So tell me…. what happened!?"

He began to explain what he had saw, and Lizzy covered her mouth in shock and guilt for being so cruel to Cindy all these years. Jimmy stood up and began to pace the floor in the living room, trying to figure out a way to get Cindy out of that house.

"…._les arbres dans la nuit_….why would Cindy speak French…that's not even a book… 'trees in the night…'…" he turned his head to his sister as he began to remember the place where Jimmy and Cindy first began their relationship.

"The trees… in Retroville Park…! She wants to meet me at the park tonight!"

Lizzy shook her head looking at her brother nervously, "Jimmy… if Mr. Vortex finds out.."

"He won't." he stated simply, his right hand balling up into a fist, "I can't let Cindy suffer. All this time, this was all because of that man. He ruined our relationship. I love her Lizzy…"

He gave Lizzy a solid look, his eyes ablaze, "I love her and I'll fight for her."

His sister sighed, she was worried for her brother but she understood him better than everyone else. "If you're going to do this, you'll need a plan, and some back up. You're a soldier, brother… you can't be hasty."

"I'm way ahead of you little sis. Trust me."

* * *

><p><strong>-Back at the Vortex House-<strong>

"Dad…. Is Cindy gonna be okay? I tried knocking on her door but she wouldn't answer, and I couldn't hear anything…"

Skyler approached his father in dismay, as Mr. Vortex gave him a light smile and a pat on the back, gesturing to Cindy's locked doorway.

"Don't worry; you saved her just in the knick of time kiddo. I'll check on your sister a little later…perhaps she just needs some time to…recuperate from that traumatic event."

Skyler smiled, sighing in relief but then balling his fists up as he looked at his father, "That Neutron, I thought he had changed, I even believed Lizzy when she said he was changing! Looks like I was almost tricked…that sneaky bastard."

Mr. Vortex couldn't help but grin, _what an incredibly stupid boy…_ he thought to himself. _At least he's on my side, and tonight I will definitely finish what I started…Cindy…_ he looked at her door, as if he could see right through it.

"D…Dad?"

Mr. Vortex quickly looked down at his son, "Hmn?"

Skyler tilted his head in confusion, for he swore he saw the look of lust in his father's eyes as he was looking in the direction of his sister's door.

"Are..uh… you alright dad? You seem to ave something on your mind right now…"

His father smiled once more and, patting him on the back again, started down the stairs waving his hand absentmindedly, "I'm fine kiddo."

_I had to have imagined it… right?_ Skyler thought to himself, and then he looked at his sister's door once again and remembered how she had the look of fear in her eyes. _But she wasn't looking at Neutron…_ _her eyes were on dad the whole time… _

He shook his head and chuckled, "No way!" He boasted, "No… way…! I'll just talk to Cindy later when she's ready. For sure!" He nodded to himself as he made his way into his own room, shutting the door behind him gently.

Behind Cindy's door however, she was staring out the window, patiently waiting for the sun to go down. Her eyes wandered to her soft and fluffy bed, and the ghostly memories of her father laying there seemed to take shape right there as she watched his hands roaming her adolescent body, little Cindy crying and trying to roll away from the touch, saying softly to herself that it's just a bad dream and the 'monster' will go away soon.

"Monster…" Cindy mumbled to herself, as the ghostly images disappeared from her sight. _He's a monster…_

"YOU MOOOOOOONNNNNSSSSTEEEEEER!" She screamed loudly, tears falling from her eyes.

All the while, Mr. Vortex was humming in his recliner, smiling gently at the sounds of her screams and choked tears. 

* * *

><p>End of Chapter 7, hope I have time soon to write the next chapter! Reviews will be used to smash Mr. Vortex's soul.<p> 


	8. Reunited

**Author's Notes: Hello fans, I've heard your pleas and I am ecstatic to announce a new chapter to the story! I really am sorry it took so long, after all, I am a Soldier myself so finding time to write is difficult. I hope this chapter helps quench your thirst for the time being until I can get the story finished haha.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Reunited<strong>

All she could hear now was the ticking of her clock on the nightstand. The room was dark, except for the splinter of light that the moon created through her window. Cindy sat on her bed, huddled in the farthest corner, her room torn to shreds from her meltdown. Those horrible memories that she had thought were delusions of the mind came to her now, clear as day.

"I hate this room….so much…" she said in a hoarse whisper to herself.

She heard her brother knock on her door a while ago, but she did not respond. She made sure the door was locked and bolted. There was no way anyone could get in, especially _that_ man. She shuddered and shook for what seemed like hours until she heard a louder, stronger knock. She knew it was him, that monster. She held back a sob as he continued to knock, and worried briefly that he would smash her door in.

_If he comes in here, I'll hit him with my chair or… my mirror….or s-something…._

The knocking stopped, and she heard her brother on the other side.

"Dad, just let her rest, we can try tomorrow."

There was silence, followed by a stifling "….Sure." and the sound of retreating steps.

It became quiet again, and Cindy's body relaxed as she let go of the breath she was holding in. She slid off her bed and made her way to the window. She listened intently; making sure no one was by the doorway, as she unlatched the window quietly and progressed down the pipe and down the street to find Jimmy Neutron.

It was late in the evening, and Jimmy was pacing back and forth in front of a large oak tree, worry creasing all over his face.

_Where is she….!?_ He wondered out loud. _Maybe I should head back and check on her at the house…_

He sighed to himself and wandered over to the tree, placing his right hand on the side of it and feeling the impression left on the aged wood: C.V+J.N Forever

He smiled inwardly to himself, remembering another time when he had carved their initials on a large palm tree when they were lost at sea.

"That time….we weren't even together…" he mused. Jimmy thought it funny that everyone in town knew that he and Cindy would eventually pair up, everyone thought so…. except them. It seemed silly to him now as he thought about every argument, every fight, every miniscule banter between them.

"Cindy…." He muttered softly, "….I'm sorry for all those times."

"You shouldn't be."

Jimmy whirled around, his right hand still pressed firmly on the tree, and he held his breath as Cindy approached him slowly. There was a very gentle smile on her face, and he could see the unshed tears in her beautiful green eyes. Her pace slowed as soon as she was within 3 feet of Jimmy, and they stared at one another for the longest time.

"Jimmy, thank you for being here. I knew you'd catch on to the hint…"

He said nothing as his hand dropped to his side. What could he possibly say to her right now to make things right? He watched her move closer to him, and as she wrapped her arms around his waist he felt that warmth and longing embrace his body. If the situation had been different, he surely would have been blushing terribly. He stood there for a little while longer, and then raised his own arms to hug Cindy around her waist and pull her closer.

"If only I had known…" he said softly so that only she could hear, "…if only I had been there by your side. None of this would have happened. If only I could take the pain away, take you away….take you far away from here… from him."

She felt the tears in her eyes struggling to fall through, but she inhaled and caught a whiff of his scent and it helped her to relax.

"You're here now, that's what matters, and now that we know who was responsible for everything that happened between us these long years, I can finally apologize to you and say sorry."

He pulled away just enough to look down at her, "No Cindy, I'm the one who should be sorry. None of this was your fault."

She shook her head, "You didn't know either. Besides Jimmy, we both hurt each other throughout the years we've been apart. I'm justified in apologizing to you."

"Well then, I am justified in apologizing to you… because I had been so careless, I should have been able to tell the difference in the way the letters were written to me. I'm supposed to know you better than anyone and yet…." He grit his teeth in humiliation. _Some boy genius_ he thought to himself.

She looked up into his deep blue eyes, "I don't know what to do Jimmy. My father…that monster… he said that if I tried to find you or if I told people what he has been doing and plans to keep doing, that he'll kill my mom, my brother… and you."

Jimmy felt his gut churn with anger. _How dare he use such a cowardice tactic….!_

"Cindy I'm not afraid of him, but I understand your situation. I wouldn't want you to risk your mother and brother's life either. However…." He felt his body churn with anger and simmer with hatred, "That man needs to be brought to justice."

"There's nothing we can do Jimmy, he is a powerful and influential man…"

"There has to be a way to beat him. There's always a way."

"Jimmy…can I tell you something…something I haven't even admitted to myself?"

He nodded slowly, "Of course, you can tell me anything Cindy."

She held onto his arms and looked at the ground, "I…I want him dead."

Jimmy's eyes grew wide, "Cindy…."

She started to shake, "I…. can still remember what it felt like….having him over me, that horrible…disgusting feeling. I want to erase it from my memory forever Jimmy. I want him erased forever. Even if we managed to get him to prison, I wouldn't feel satisfied. He'd still be alive, still laughing at me and …and mocking me."

She fell to her knees now, and Jimmy followed her, kneeling in front of Cindy and watching her slowly break down.

"I want to forget what he felt like, I want it gone!"

Jimmy couldn't fathom her pain, but he knew that something had to be done to help her, but he wondered if killing her father would really fix the problem.

"Cindy….even if he were to die for his actions.. would that really help you forget?"

She looked at him directly, the tears wanting to spill from her eyes. "I suppose… it won't…but…"

"Revenge…?"

She looked away, "When you put it like that… forget it… I knew you wouldn't understand."

He raised his hand and gently cupped the side of her face, making her look at him again, "I do understand Cindy. Well, I can't understand your pain all that well…. But I can understand that you need…salvation."

She looked at him again, and placed her hand over his, "Jimmy…"

He tilted his head questioningly, "Yes Cindy?"

She craned her neck and brushed her lips to his lightly, and they both felt an electricity flow through them. She whispered against his lips, "Please….save me."

His eyes were half-lidded now, "H-How…?"

She crawled into his lap, placing her hands on his chest. His warmth made her remember a better memory, a loving memory….a memory of them.

"Be with me….Stay with me… I need you to help me forget all those terrible memories, and instead, fill them with thoughts of you and I."

There was a longing look in her eyes as he gazed up at her in his lap. So many years had passed between them, but the chemistry was still there, still strong. He knew that, and so did she. Jimmy wanted to lay her down gently, to kiss her passionately and ease the ache between them, but he wasn't sure if she was ready for that, not after what had transpired, not after all those repressed memories returning now. Even so, he was a man, and it took every ounce of willpower in him to cool that rising heat.

"There's nothing I would want more, Cindy….than to give you what we both have been wanting…but given the circumstances… I advise that we wait…for now, let's enjoy each other's company."

She smiled inwardly at this, _always the gentleman_ she thought to herself, _that's what I love about him…._

"But Cindy…" He started, as she looked at him thoughtfully, "I promise… I will save you even if it costs me my life."

She maneuvered herself in his lap and pressed herself against his chest, sighing in relaxation. "I don't want you to risk your life for me…." However she couldn't help but blush at his 'macho-ness' and grinned, "…Thank you Jimmy for understanding, and for just being here."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and chuckled, "All those times you told me to 'get lost Nerd-tron' and now here you are, wanting me to stay."

She smiled even bigger, "Don't ruin the atmosphere Captain Cranium…"

* * *

><p>Thanks for bearing with me everyone! Stay tuned! Comments will be used to hopefully create another chapter and a happy ending!<p> 


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